Gustav

So... why is it not legally required as it is in so called high risk areas?

Not having insurance isn't the entire issue either, the main problem seemed to be people who were underinsured. So they had it, just not enough coverage for a disaster the size of Katrina. But of course they were told they didn't need it.
Flood ins is required for a loan if it is determined to be in a high risk area so by law they have to buy flood coverage along with their homeowners policy. One reason why allot of people were underinsured was because they carried what the law required. For example. If a person owns a $200,000 home and they owe $100,000 and are in a high risk area the law states they have to carry $100,000 the balance of the loan. It also does not require the insured to cover contents as that is a option they must choose.

I have lived on the Gulf Coast for ......Many years in several locations in Texas, and Florida. I have also spent much time in LA.........it LOOKS like it's ready to flood!
I have never bought a house that lies in "flood plain", although there are probably several million homes that are built in the flood plain on the GC. I have 100% had flood ins. Weathered many tropical storms and H-canes. To date no water in the house.
People have to make better decisions, or deal with the consequences. Sad, but true.
Do you change the oil in your car? Why? It might not cause any problems.....or maybe....
This is the gulf coast....it floods...everywhere

Its called a flood zone and not a flood plain. Everyone is located in a flood zone but it varies to their risk of flooding. If you purchased a home and flood ins was not required that does mean your not in a flood zone rather its not one which requires you to purchase flood ins. to obtain a loan.

Flood ins is required for a loan if it is determined to be in a high risk area so by law they have to buy flood coverage along with their homeowners policy. One reason why allot of people were underinsured was because they carried what the law required. For example. If a person owns a $200,000 home and they owe $100,000 and are in a high risk area the law states they have to carry $100,000 the balance of the loan. It also does not require the insured to cover contents as that is a option they must choose.

I'm guessing you didn't even read the article.


NEW ORLEANS -- Many of the thousands of homeowners in the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the hardest-hit areas in the city, lacked flood insurance because the neighborhood in theory was supposed to be relatively safe, local insurance agents and residents said.


Most of the area sits outside the "high-risk" flood districts designated on federal maps used for insurance, and so, unlike homeowners elsewhere in this low-lying city, most in the Lower Ninth Ward were not legally required by lenders to buy flood coverage.

Those federal insurance maps, however, were based on a vastly mistaken assumption: that the levees and flood walls protecting the neighborhood from inundation would remain intact. When the levees breached near the Lower Ninth, the floodwaters ravaged countless homes unprotected by flood insurance, and many neighbors wonder whether anyone will have the wherewithal to rebuild.

Its called a flood zone and not a flood plain. Everyone is located in a flood zone but it varies to their risk of flooding. If you purchased a home and flood ins was not required that does mean your not in a flood zone rather its not one which requires you to purchase flood ins. to obtain a loan.
I can only tell you the object I have personally viewed on several occasions with my ins agents is a map they called a "Flood Plain" map.
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At what point do people need to take responsibility for their own lives?
Do you carry adequate insurance? Why?

I've said that ultimately people are responsible for evaluating their own risk level, BUT, if I'm given bad info and make a decision based on that bad info... shouldn't there be some recourse?

If a bank tells you that you don't need flood insurance because you lived in a low risk area... is it so unreasonable to think that some people might decline the coverage?

We sure are quick to bail out bad decisions made by big corporations, but when the little guy makes a bad decision all bets are off it seems.

I can only tell you the object I have personally viewed on several occasions with my ins agents is a map they called a "Flood Plain" map.
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Ok, but that flood plain is broken down into flood zones which determine the premium and risk factor. I sell flood ins.

I've said that ultimately people are responsible for evaluating their own risk level, BUT, if I'm given bad info and make a decision based on that bad info... shouldn't there be some recourse?

If a bank tells you that you don't need flood insurance because you lived in a low risk area... is it so unreasonable to think that some people might decline the coverage?

We sure are quick to bail out bad decisions made by big corporations, but when the little guy makes a bad decision all bets are off it seems.

No its not unreasonable to think that when banks say they are in a low risk area people tend to not buy flood ins. AS I stated earlier I sell flood ins and have to deal with people daily who had a bank, realator, or someone say that they are not in a flood zone or that they are in a low risk zone. I do believe the bank notice does state that you may want to check with your agent and that you may still need coverage.

Goverment bails out very few corporations that fail so thats not a very good example.

if a bank tells you they've got a great deal that can get you into a million dollar home for only 2200 a month, does that make it a great deal? cause i mean, after all, the bank is the one that said it was, and they should know...

the banks probably waived it to be competitive with lower rates/fees than the "other guys." If it wasn't federally/locally mandated, how can you prove or enforce that they were negligent?

whoever made those flood maps and assumed the structural integrity of the levees screwed up. from what i heard (warning, not proven fact) the army CoE knew those levees wouldn't stand up to a massive storm back when they were built, so i don't know when the locals forgot that information, but it'd be pretty important...

I can only tell you the object I have personally viewed on several occasions with my ins agents is a map they called a "Flood Plain" map.
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Yes it is universally called a flood plain. Flood zones are techincal terms defined by FEMA I believe. We all live in a flood zone as designated by FEMA but floodplians are more general terms.

To me if they didn't have enough insurance, for whatever reason, then the blame lays at their feet. If the bank told them they don't need it then sorry but I don't trust a bank to give me advice on flooding. The mentality that it was someone elses fault that they didn't have insurance or enough of it is a mentality that is dangerous. It is a perpetuation of a treand in our nation to pass the buck whenever the going gets tough. I understand that it may seem reasonable that the bank would give them the straight dope but to em those people made dumb decisions. Does that mean I have no compassion for them? NO. Does it mean I don't think we shoudl help them? No. Does it mean I don't think every American tax payer should have to pony up a bunch of money to help them rebuild in a place likely to face similar disasters in the future? You bet.